Undergarment



Feb. 23, 1943. A. M. BUTLER 2,312,025

UNDERGARMENT Filed July 20, 1940 [7? vex? (702 14/7 r /7 Gui/9r Patented Feb. 23, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 3 Claims.

In order to strengthen undergarments in the crotch areas thereof where moisture and abrasion weaken them, it has been proposed, in some instances, to use an insert which is stitched to the garment and forms the crotch thereof. It has also been proposed to fasten a strip of material for reinforcing purposes to the front of an undergarment just above the crotch. Inmanufacturing undergarments having these constructions, separate pieces of fabric are blanked out and stitched to the fabric of the garment itself.

It is the primary object of my invention to provide an undergarment in which, among other things, a crotch may be formed and a reinforced front portion of the garment above the crotch provided without utilizing pieces of fabric or inserts which are separately blanked out for these purposes.

Another object resides in providing a garment of the above character in which the reinforced front portion is so arranged that lateral stretching of the garment as so reinforced above the crotch may take place while sagging of the garment at the crotch is substantially prevented.

The foregoing objects are attained by the novel constructions and arrangements of elements described below and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which- Fig. 1 is an elevation view showing the front of an undergarment embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is an elevation view showing the back of the garment of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary, sectional view of the crotch portion of the garment taken in about the plane 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 somewhat schematically shows the positions which the flaps assume when stitched to the front of the garment;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view, partially broken away and in section, showing the relationship of the flaps and the body portion of the garment when stitched together; and

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary view of the interior of a garment embodying a modified construction.

My invention relates to an undergarment, the back of which is slitted or provided with the usual back opening and comprises flaps arranged one to underlie the other. These flaps extend from the back of the garment as crotch portions to the front thereof and are stitched together in the crotch seam. Broadly speaking, I accomplish the primary object of my invention by extending one of these flaps through the crotch seam and along the front of the garment and stitching the flap to the front of the garment above the crotch seam. A construction of this character provides a garment having a reinforced, or a double thickness of material, at and above the crotch and a garment in which the crotch seam is reinforced by the flap extension so that the stresses which otherwise may be set up in the crotch seam are reduced.

Referring to the drawing, 1 indicates generally an undergarment'for'med in accordance with my invention and comprising a body portion 2 and leg portions 3. The front of the garment may be provided with the usual front opening extending from adjacent the crotch to the neck and the marginal edges 4 and 5 thereof may be fastened together in overlapping relation by any of the ordinary fastening means such as by the buttons and buttonholes shown.

The back of the body 2 is slitted or provided with aback opening as shown in Fig. 2 and to the edges 6 and 1 thereof are stitched the flaps I and 9, respectively. The upper ends of the flaps may be stitched to the back of the body 2 as by stitching Hi. It will be observed that flap 8 is arranged to underlie flap 9.

The leg portions 3 of the garment, as in the usual practice, are stitched along the inner sides thereof to provide the leg seams indicated at H in Fig. 3. The flaps 9 and 9, respectively, are stitched along one side thereof to the sides of the slit in the back of the garment and, as indicated at l2, down to the upper end of the leg seams H. The flaps 8 and 9 extend from the back of the garment to the front thereof and are stitched to the front of the garment by a row of stitches I3, known in the trade as the crotch seam, which extends across the front of the garment and between the leg seams. For example, flap 8 may be stitched in the crotch seam either from the point 811 or the point 90, illustrated in Fig. 4, to the point 9b. From point 9a to point 9b both flaps 8 and 9 may be stitched to the front of the garment by the crotch seam which extends along and adjacent the front edge of flap 9 between these points.

The flap 9 preferably extends along the front of the garment substantially only to the crotch seam and is stitched along its edge thereto by said seam as above indicated. However, the underlying flap 8 extends along the front of the garment and above the crotch seam and is fastened to the front of the garment by the crotch seam and a second series of stitches M which preferably extends from one leg seam above the crotch seam and in spaced relation thereto the other leg seam.

As shown in Fig. 6, flap 8 may be provided with a fairly narrow notch l6 which preferably extends almost to the crotch seam and is arranged, when the flap is stitched to the front of the garment, with its edges substantially adjacent and on opposite sides of the front opening. In this embodiment of my invention, the stitching ll corresponding to the stitching or seam It does not extend uninterruptedly across the front of the garment from one leg seam to the other as inrthe first described embodiment but the stitching terminates on each side of the front opening adjacent the marginal edges thereof. For example, the stitching l'l may terminate in fastening the upper edge of flap 8 at point l8 on one side of the notch ii to the binding or button stay on the edge 5 of the front of the garment and the stitching II on the other side of the front of the garment may terminate in fastening the other upper edge of flap 8 at point I9 to the facing on edge 4 of the front of the garment. The edges of the notch I. may be faced off by edge stitching.

As shown, the notch it of flap 8 may extend below the tacking 2|! at the bottom of the front opening in the garment and, since the edges of the flap on opposite sides of the notch are secured only to the respective sides of the front of the garment which they underlie on opposite sides of the front opening, full benefit of the front opening down to the tacking is provided.

With the constructions above pointed out, the crotch portion of the garment is formed by the flaps l and 9 and comprises two thicknesses of material. Furthermore, since one of the flaps, preferably the underlying flap 8, extends along the front of the garment and is secured thereto above the crotch seam, there will be two thicknesse's of material between the crotch seam and the seam I. By additionally stitching the one flap extension with the series of stitches l4 above or about the crotch seam [3, not only is a reinforcement provided for the area about the crotch but also the stresses which otherwise may occur in the crotch seam are considerably reduced.

Preferably, that portion of the flap of the undergarment which extends along the front of the garment above the other flap and lies between the crotch seam l3 and the stitches H is so arranged that, when formed of knitted fabric, the wales thereof extend in a direction generally lengthwise of the front of the garment. By arranging the fabric in this manner, the desired reinforcement and prevention of sagging of the garment at the crotch is provided while lateral stretching of the front of the garment and its reinforcing flap may take place.

In forming the flap which extends above the crotch seam as herein described, it may be cut in the desired configuration from a strip of knitted fabric with the wales extending generally lengthwise thereof. The configuration, of course, is such as to adapt the flap to be fitted to the garment and stitched in place as hereinbefore described and, in this case, when secured in place in the garment as above described, the wales will extend downwardly along the rear portion of the flap on the back of the garment, through the crotch and upwardly or in a direction generally lengthwise of the garment on the front thereof (see Fig. 5).

While I have described my invention in its preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that the words which I have used are words of description rather than of limitation. Hence, changes within the purview of the appended claims may be made without departing from the true scope and spirit of my invention in. its broader aspects.

What I claim is:

1. An undergarment comprising body and leg portions, the back of said body portion being provided with an opening having on opposite sides thereof flaps arranged one underlying the other and adapted when spread apart to provide a posterior opening, said flaps extending, in superposed relationship, from the back of'said body as crotch portions to the front of said body, both of said flaps being stitched to the front of said body in a crotch seam extending between the leg seams and across the front of said garment, and one of said flaps comprising an end portion contiguous and integral with the crotch-forming portion thereof, said end portion lying substantially fiat along the front of said garment and extending above said crotch seam and being stitched to said garment above said crotch seam; whereby said last mentioned flap, being secured as an integral element to said garment both in the crotch seam and thereabove, provides a reinforced and securely supported crotch construction.

2. An undergarment comprising body and le portions, the back of said body portion being provided with an opening having on opposite sides thereof flaps arranged one underlying the other and adapted when spread apart to provide a posterior opening, said flaps extending, in superposed relationship, from the back of said body as crotch portions to the front of said body, both of said flaps being stitched to the front of said body in a crotch seam extending between the leg seams and across the front of said garment, and said underlying flap comprising an end portion contiguous and integral with the crotch-forming portion thereof, said end portion lying substantially flat along the inner side of the front of said garment and extending above said crotch seam 'and being stitched to said garment above said crotch seam; whereby said last mentioned flap, being secured as an integral element to said garment both in the crotch seam and thereabove, provides a reinforced and securely supported crotch construction.

3. An undergarment comprising body and leg portions, the back of said body portion being provided with an opening having on opposite sides thereof flaps arranged one underlying the other and adapted when spread apart to provide a posterior opening, said flaps extending, in

superposed relationship, from the back of said body as crotch portions to the front of said body, both of said fiapsbeing stitched to the front of said body in a crotch seam extending between the leg seams and across the front of said garment, and one of said flaps comprising an end portion contiguous and integral with the crotch-forming portion thereof, said end portion lying substantially flat along the front of said garment and extending above said crotch seam, said last mentioned flap being formed of knitted fabric with the wales thereof extending generally in a direction lengthwise of the front of said garment whereby lateral stretching of the reinforced garment may take place, and said last mentioned flap being stitched to said garment above said crotch seam; whereby said last mentioned flap, being secured as an integral element to said garment both in the crotch seam and thereabove, provides a reinforced and securely supported crotch construction.

ARTHUR M. BUTLER. 

